As Nigeria approaches the 2026 farming season, the Defence Headquarters has pledged to intensify security across vulnerable agricultural communities in response to a wave of deadly attacks on farmers in 2025. The commitment was made amid rising concerns over food security, with security agencies highlighting the need to safeguard farmers and prevent further disruptions to agricultural production.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj Gen Michael Onoja, disclosed in an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday that the military would ramp up patrols and maintain a robust presence in flashpoints to enable farmers to carry out their activities without fear.
According to Maj Gen Onoja, “We will continue to intensify patrols and military presence in areas vulnerable to attacks to ensure that farmers are able to carry out their activities. We understand the implications of not allowing the agricultural season to go as planned. It will hamper food security, and the armed forces are determined to prevent that. We are committed to our role to provide assistance to the Nigeria Police to secure the farmers.”
The remarks underline the military’s recognition of the critical link between rural security, agricultural productivity, and national food stability.
In addition to military measures, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has deployed no fewer than 11,000 specially trained Agro-Rangers operatives nationwide to bolster protection for farmers.
Speaking with The PUNCH, NSCDC spokesman Afolabi Babawale emphasised the agency’s commitment to safeguarding farmers and agro-allied investments. He said, “The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps plays a pivotal role in ensuring farmers’ protection. The Corps has an existing relationship with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture in ensuring the protection of agro-allied industries, settling disputes between farmers and herders, campaigning against the destruction of farm crops, indiscriminate grazing, or cattle rustling.
The security of farmers is our topmost priority; this culminates in training and retraining of Special Agro-Rangers operatives numbering over 11,000 across the federation. We enjoin the public to continue to give us relevant information that would assist our work, and most of all, the ravaged areas need more proactivity in terms of intelligence gathering to forestall negative attacks and mishaps.”
Babawale further disclosed that the Commandant-General of the Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, had reaffirmed the readiness to deploy specially trained personnel to areas in need, stating, “The corps is not relenting on putting all hands on deck to enhance food security in the nation.
The Commandant-General, Prof Ahmed Abubakar Audi, during the last retraining programme for the Agro-Rangers operatives in Plateau State, affirmed the NSCDC’s readiness to deploy the specially trained officers and men to needed areas for adequate safety of farmers and by extension combating food insecurity.”
These deployments and proactive strategies form part of a coordinated effort between the military and paramilitary agencies to prevent a recurrence of the violent incidents that disrupted the 2025 farming and harvest seasons.
The 2025 agricultural calendar was marred by a series of deadly attacks across multiple states, causing loss of life and abductions that raised serious concerns about food security. Between January 12 and 13, at least 40 farmers were reportedly killed in Dumba near Lake Chad by fighters linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram while tending to their farms.
On October 1, three persons were kidnapped at Bethel Farm in Ejiba, Kogi State, highlighting the persistent risk to rural communities. November witnessed intensified violence, including the killing of a farmer in Kubon village, Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State on November 2, and between November 3 and 4, at least 10 farmers, including a pastor, were killed while working in their fields in Ohimini, Benue State.
On November 20, four rice farmers were abducted in Bokungi, Kwara State, while three days later, 13 female farmers aged between 15 and 20 were kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State. November 26 saw the abduction of at least 10 farmers in Shiroro, Niger State, while in early December, 20 onion farmers were abducted in Konduga, Borno State, days after eight others were taken from the same area.
These repeated attacks disrupted agricultural activities, intensified fears in rural communities, and highlighted the vulnerability of farmers to organized violent actors.
Group Urges Ranching Reform
While security agencies focus on immediate protective measures for the upcoming 2026 farming season, advocacy groups have stressed the need for structural reforms to prevent long-term conflicts and protect livelihoods.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the Youths Against Disaster Initiative called for comprehensive ranching reforms as a long-term solution to farmer-herder conflicts and agricultural insecurity. Citing data from the Centre for Crisis Communication referencing the Nigerian Security Tracker, the group noted that about 3,000 people were killed in farmer-herder clashes between 2018 and 2023 across North-Central states, with over 300,000 displaced.
The advocacy group also referenced the 2024 Nigeria Watch Report, which documented 567 deaths linked to farmer-herder violence across 20 states and the Federal Capital Territory within one year.
The group emphasised that while immediate security measures are necessary, long-term solutions such as improved livestock management, regulated grazing systems, and conflict mediation are essential for sustainable peace and food security.
As Nigeria prepares for the 2026 planting season, the coordinated efforts of the military, the NSCDC, and other security agencies aim to ensure that farmers can return to their fields under enhanced protection. While these measures offer immediate reprieve, experts and advocacy groups alike maintain that structural and policy reforms in the agricultural and livestock sectors are critical to prevent the recurrence of violence and maintain national food security. The military, for its part, has reaffirmed its determination to prevent a repeat of the 2025 tragedies, underscoring its commitment to safeguarding rural communities and supporting uninterrupted agricultural production across the country.